In Aurora: Lofchie, Schuler, Peters, Saville

Daily Herald Editorial Board

The most hotly contested of several City Council races in Aurora involves the four-way bid for one of the city’s two at-large aldermanic posts, where incumbent Richard Irvin faces challenges from Judd Lofchie, Kevin Mathews and write-in Matt Harrington.

Irvin has done solid work as the incumbent. He is thoughtful, engaged and accessible. He clearly cares about his city and his constituents. But this time around he faces some serious challengers.

Even as a write-in, Harrington impresses with his campaign hustle and his out-of-the-box thinking that ranges from building boat slips downtown along the Fox River to reinstating vehicle stickers, either in print form with ads on the back or in electronic form.

Lofchie is an even more impressive challenger with a solid business background who can point to significant investments he’s made in his own community. He’s smart and well-spoken and we like his ideas for eliminating downtown parking meters and finding better ways to communicate with constituents.

In a community that should be poised to take advantage of significant opportunities if and when the economy finally turns, Lofchie is the best choice from an impressive group of candidates.

Ward 1: Schuler

In Ward 1 on the city’s north side, incumbent Abby Schuler, an eight-year veteran of the council, is being challenged by write-in candidate Don Duve. We’d like to see Schuler demonstrate a little more independence, but she has a solid grasp of the issues and a commitment to her ward and city. Duve’s concerns about overassessed homes and underfunded schools are legitimate but don’t fall under the purview of city council. We endorse Schuler.

Ward 5: Peters

In Ward 5 on the far west side of the city, longtime incumbent John “Whitey” Peters is being challenged by Itasca Deputy Police Chief Dean Myles.

Myles offers a solid alternative and pledges to be more accessible than the incumbent, but otherwise does not present a compelling case as to why he would be a better choice. We like the way Peters uses his ward funds and seems to know how to get things done for his constituents. We endorse Peters.

Ward 6: Saville

In Ward 6 on the city’s northwest side, another longtime incumbent, Michael Saville, is being challenged by Isaac Count De Money Wilson.

The offbeat middle name might peg Wilson as a fringe candidate, but he comes across as straightforward and clear-thinking.

Saville, though, has built an impressive knowledge base over more than 25 years as a city council member, is realistic in his goals and readily available to his constituents. We endorse Saville.